J. Barbour and Sons

Last updated

J. Barbour & Sons Ltd.
TypePrivately held company
IndustryRetail, Clothing Manufacturing
Founded South Shields, England (1894 (1894))
FounderJohn Barbour
Headquarters
Simonside, South Shields
,
United Kingdom
Number of locations
30+ retail stores
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Margaret Barbour, Chairman
  • Steve Buck, managing director
  • Helen Barbour, Vice Chair
Products
  • Bedale Jacket
  • Beaufort Jacket
  • A7 Barbour International Jacket
ServicesRepair, reproofing
Revenue£225m for YE 30 April 2019
Website www.barbour.com

J. Barbour & Sons Ltd is a British luxury and lifestyle brand founded by John Barbour in 1894, that designs, manufactures and markets waxed cotton outerwear, ready-to-wear, clothing, footwear and accessories for men, women, and children under the Barbour and Barbour International brands. Founded in South Shields, England, as an importer of oil cloth, J. Barbour and Sons Ltd has become well known for its waxed cotton jackets which are a common element of British country clothing. The company's waxed cotton jackets are so well known that some people refer to any waxed cotton jacket as a "Barbour jacket", irrespective of manufacturer. [1] J. Barbour and Sons Ltd holds royal warrant to supply "waterproof and protective clothing" from the Duke of Edinburgh in 1974, Queen Elizabeth II in 1982, and Charles, Prince of Wales in 1987. [2] Since July 2016, Scottish actor Sam Heughan is Barbour's First Global Brand Ambassador. [3]

Contents

History

John Barbour, a native of Galloway, Scotland, founded J. Barbour and Sons Ltd in South Shields, England, in 1894 as an importer of oil-cloth. [2] John's grandson Duncan, a keen motorcyclist, would also take the company in that direction during his tenure as Barbour became the originator of waxed cotton motorcycling suits and jackets.

The headquarters for J. Barbour and Sons Ltd at the time of its foundation was located at 5 Market Place, South Shields and the company remains in South Shields today having occupied its current site since the 1980s.

While the traditional waxed cotton jackets are still manufactured in Simonside, South Shields, some of the other products are manufactured outside the United Kingdom. [2]

Products

A men's waxed cotton Barbour jacket in green. Green Barbour Endurance jacket.jpg
A men's waxed cotton Barbour jacket in green.
Modern Barbour 'Stockman' coat. Barbourstockman09.jpg
Modern Barbour 'Stockman' coat.

In addition to its waxed and quilted jackets, J. Barbour & Sons Ltd is famous for sweaters, moleskin clothing, corduroy clothing, and tattersall shirts. Barbour has also entered the "waterproof-breathable" market with its own type of waterproof liners, Cordura external fabric, and polar fleece sweaters. Some Barbour products contain outdoor-orientated features such as snug-fitting collars, "storm cuffs", waterproof pockets with drainage holes, and wide "game" pockets. In recent years the company has successfully modernized its collections to appeal to a younger clientele while maintaining credibility with the traditional countryside customer. Many of the more fashionable ranges are influenced by the "Barbour International" motorcycling ranges. Taking inspiration from the company's 1936 waxed cotton motorcycling suit and the 1951 "Original Green" motorcycling jacket, modern collections are fashionable interpretations of the companies heritage in bikes.

Despite traditional connotations with rural life, Barbour jackets saw increased popularity as an urban fashion item in the 2010s decade. [4] In 2010s Barbour collaborated with several notable urban fashion brands including Wood Wood, Alexa Chung, Ally Capellino, [5] and White Mountaineering. [6]

Services

The pocket of a green Barbour jacket showing wear. Barbour jacket 02.jpg
The pocket of a green Barbour jacket showing wear.

Some customers keep Barbour waxed jackets for years, sometimes decades. Among such people, the wear-and-tear on the garment can be addressed by Barbour's repair service, which patches and reinforces jackets. J. Barbour and Sons Ltd repairs and rewaxes a total of over 25,000 jackets annually at the Simonside, South Shields and other facilities. [2]

Aside from offering merchandise within Barbour retail stores, Barbour wholesales all of its collections to many upscale departments and specialty stores worldwide.

Barbour's distinctive waxed jackets and coats have appeared in numerous films with one of the most noteworthy being in 2012's Skyfall, in which James Bond, played by Daniel Craig wears a modified Barbour jacket. [7] Barbour has a long-standing line of clothing inspired by actor and avid motorcycle racer Steve McQueen, who was known for exclusively wearing Barbour during races. [8]

Related Research Articles

Motorcycle personal protective equipment

To improve motorcycle safety many countries mandate the wearing of personal protective equipment such as protective clothing and helmets. Protective clothing may include certain types of jackets, gloves, boots, and pants. Jackets meant for motorcyclists are typically made of leather or specialized man-made fabrics like cordura or Kevlar. These jackets typically include padding on the elbow, spine, and shoulder regions. This was once quite bulky, but modern technology and materials have made it unobtrusive. Gloves are generally made of leather or Kevlar and some include carbon fiber knuckle protection. Boots, especially those for sport riding, include reinforcement and plastic caps on the ankle and toe areas. Pants are usually leather, cordura, or Kevlar. Except for helmets, none of these items are required by law in any state in the USA, or in any part of the UK but are recommended by many of those who ride.

Raincoat Waterproof coat

A raincoat is a waterproof or water-resistant garment worn on the upper body to shield the wearer from rain. The term rain jacket is sometimes used to refer to raincoats with long sleeves that are waist-length. A rain jacket may be combined with a pair of rain pants to make a rainsuit. Rain clothing may also be in one piece, like a boilersuit. Raincoats, like rain ponchos, offer the wearer hands-free protection from the rain and elements; unlike the umbrella.

Trench coat Belted waterproof coat

A trench coat or trenchcoat is variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches.

Gabardine Tough, tightly woven fabric used to make suits, trousers and some other garments

Gabardine is a tough, tightly woven fabric used to make suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, windbreakers and other garments.

Flight jacket Casual jacket originally worn by aviators

A flight jacket is a casual jacket that was originally created for pilots and eventually became part of popular culture and apparel. It has evolved into various styles and silhouettes, including the "letterman" jacket and the fashionable "bomber" jacket that is known today.

Tracksuit Article of clothing consisting of two parts: trousers and a jacket usually with front zipper

A tracksuit is an article of clothing consisting of two parts: trousers and a jacket usually with front zipper. It was originally intended for use in sports, mainly for athletes to wear over competition clothing and to take off before competition. In modern times, it has become commonly worn in other contexts. The tracksuit was one of the earliest uses of synthetic fibers in sportswear.

An oilskin is a waterproof garment, typically worn by sailors and by others in wet areas, such as fish-plant workers. The modern oilskin garment was developed by a New Zealander, Edward Le Roy, in 1898. Le Roy used worn-out sailcloth painted with a mixture of linseed oil and wax to produce a waterproof garment suitable to be worn on deck in foul-weather conditions. Oilskins are part of the range of protective clothing also known as foul weather gear.

Clothing terminology comprises the names of individual garments and classes of garments, as well as the specialized vocabularies of the trades that have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold clothing over hundreds of years.

Carhartt American apparel company

Carhartt, Inc. is an American apparel company founded in 1889, known for heavy-duty working clothes such as jackets, coats, overalls, coveralls, vests, shirts, jeans, dungarees, fire-resistant clothing and hunting apparel. Carhartt remains a family-owned company, owned by the descendants of founder Hamilton Carhartt, with its headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.

The Izod Corporation is an American midrange clothing company that produces dressy-casual clothing, sportswear for men, and footwear and accessories. It is a division of Authentic Brands Group, and is currently marketed and manufactured by Centric Brands under a long-term licensing agreement. Other Izod classics include the Harrington jacket G-9 model and V-neck and cardigan sweaters. Today, the Izod brand competes most directly with the similarly priced Chaps brand owned by Ralph Lauren Corporation, while competing more indirectly with U.S. Polo Assn.

Belstaff

Belstaff is a clothing brand owned by UK chemicals company Ineos. The company was founded in 1924 by Eli Belovitch and his son-in-law Harry Grosberg in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The name Belstaff is a combination of Eli's surname and his Staffordshire home. Belstaff was the first company to use wax cotton in the manufacturing of waterproof apparel for motorcycling.

Fjällräven Swedish company specialising in outdoor equipment

Fjällräven is a Swedish brand specialising in outdoor equipment—mostly upscale clothing and luggage. It was founded in 1960 by Åke Nordin (1936–2013). The company went public in 1983 with an over-the-counter listing in Stockholm.

Dame Margaret Barbour is a British businesswoman and philanthropist best known as the current Chairman of J. Barbour & Sons.

Ventile, is a registered trademark used to brand a special high-quality woven cotton fabric first developed by scientists at the Shirley Institute in Manchester, England. Originally created to overcome a shortage of flax used for fire hoses and water buckets, its properties were also found to be ideal for pilots' immersion suits.

Waxed cotton Sturdy fabric waterproofed with wax

Waxed cotton is cotton impregnated with a paraffin or natural beeswax based wax, woven into or applied to the cloth. Popular from the 1920s to the mid-1950s, the product, which developed from the sailing industry in England and Scotland, became commonly used for waterproofing. It has been replaced by more modern materials but is still used by the country sports community. The main drawbacks are two: waxed fabric is not very breathable and tends to be heavier and bulkier than modern synthetic waterproof materials.

Massimo Osti (1944–2005) was an Italian garment engineer and fashion designer, most famous as the founder of the apparel brands Stone Island and C.P. Company. Osti's products were a mix of his own innovations and design ideas he got from studying military clothing, work-wear, and sportswear.

Lewis Leathers

Lewis Leathers is a brand name of the oldest British motorcycle clothing company. D. Lewis Ltd, manufacturer of leather jackets which was established in the late 19th century.

Ally Capellino is an independent British designer brand that was established in 1980 by Alison Lloyd and Jonathan Platt. Originally launching as an accessories company, and later expanding into classic tailoring and ready to wear, it has been described as the label that: "dominated the wardrobes of many sensible and stylish women throughout the 80s and into the 90s". Following the restructuring of the original company in 1999, Lloyd relaunched Ally Capellino alone, focusing on bags. The brand now retails through two London shops, a web-store and via other retailers. Collaborations include a branded range for Apple and the Tate Gallery.

British country clothing or English country clothing is the traditional attire worn by men and women in rural Britain; it is the choice of clothing when taking part in outdoor sports such as equestrian pursuits, shooting, fishing and during general outdoor activity, such as walking, on picnics, and gardening. It is also worn at events such as horse races, country weddings, beer festivals and country fairs.

Mufti is Mumbai, India based men clothing fashion brand, which was founded by Kamal Khushlani in 1998. The company was started with a Rs.10,000 loan from Khushlani's maternal aunt. It manufactures shirts, jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, Joggers, Blazers and jackets. It is owned and managed by Credo Brands Marketing Private Limited. It owns 1,400 multi brand outlets and 120 large format stores. In July 2018, Mufti signed Kartik Aaryan as a brand ambassador.

References

  1. Ellwood, Iain (2002). The essential brand book: over 100 techniques to increase brand value . p.  175. ISBN   9780749438630. Customers ask for a Barbour wax cotton jacket, even though they may actually buy an alternative brand.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "A History of J Barbour & Sons Ltd". J. Barbour and Sons Ltd. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  3. "Introducing Sam Heughan - Barbour's First Global Brand Ambassador". www.barbour.com.
  4. Bakare, Lanre (1 March 2012). "Why city kids like me are on the hunt for Barbour". The Guardian .
  5. "Barbour x Ally Capellino". High Snobiety. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  6. "Barbour x Wood Wood Collaboration Collection". Barbour Blog. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  7. Wolf, Cam. "This Might Be the Most Influential Menswear Outfit in Movie History". GQ. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  8. Hallemann, Caroline (23 August 2019). "Barbour Launches a New Collection Inspired By Steve McQueen". Town & Country. Retrieved 31 January 2020.